FO extends sympathies to families of two Chinese nationals injured in security guard’s firing in Karachi

Pakistan Foreign Office has confirmed that two Chinese nationals were injured in Karachi on Tuesday in a shooting by a security guard, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Foreign Office’s Spokeswoman Mumtaz Zehra in a press briefing said on Tuesday morning two Chinese nationals were injured in Karachi as a result of a firing incident following a dispute with a private guard. The injured were immediately taken to hospital and are under treatment.

She said, “We extend our sympathies to the families of the injured and offer prayers for their swift recovery”.

Mumtaz Zehra said the incident is under investigation. Pakistan remains resolute in bringing to justice the responsible individual. She said Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in close contact with the Ministry of Interior and the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad. Pakistan and China are close partners and iron-brothers, united by a bond of mutual respect and shared destiny. Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects, and institutions in Pakistan.

According to a statement by the Sindh home department, a clash broke out between the foreigners and security guards at a police station in Karachi’s Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) A area. Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar instructed authorities to arrest the security guard involved in the incident, the statement said.

Lanjar sought details from the South deputy inspector general, stating that facts of the incident must be confirmed with a comprehensive inquiry and said, “[He] must be informed of the inquiry report and police action,” it added. The home minister was further quoted as saying that companies providing security to Chinese experts/residents and foreigners should be audited and the audit report must be sent for review. Lanjar asserted that physical and mental fitness tests for the guards who were assigned to security duties must be ensured, adding that services should be taken from fully trained and fit security guards. He also ordered a crackdown on unregistered and illegal security companies, according to the statement.